December is one of the cooler months of the year in Peterhead, with average highs near 6.9°C and lows around 4.6°C (mean 5.8°C). It is a relatively wet time of year, averaging 91 mm of rainfall and 87% relative humidity across the period.
December is one of the cooler months of the year in Peterhead. Across 45 years of records, the warmest December in Peterhead was 2025 — when the month averaged 7.6°C — while the coldest was 1981 at 3.2°C. Typical December days reach 6.9°C with nights near 4.6°C. The long-term trend is warming, about 0.3°C per decade.
December is a relatively wet time of year in Peterhead, averaging 91 mm of rainfall. The wettest December on record was 2023 with 157 mm, while the driest was 1991 at 43 mm.
Relative humidity in Peterhead during December averages 87%. The most humid December was 2019 at 90%, and the least humid was 1981 at 81%.
December receives about 0.3 kWh/m²/day of solar energy in Peterhead. The sunniest Decembers were 2022, 2023 and 2024, among others at 0.3 kWh/m²/day, and the cloudiest were 2000, 2002 and 2012, among others at 0.2.
Average wind speed in Peterhead during December is 6.2 m/s. The windiest December was 2013 at 7.8 m/s, while the calmest was 2009 at 4.7 m/s.
Ranked against the other 11 months using 1981–2025 averages.
| Metric | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg Temp | 5.5°C | 5.2°C | 6.0°C | 6.0°C | 6.4°C | +0.9°C |
| Avg High | 6.6°C | 6.2°C | 7.1°C | 7.2°C | 7.5°C | +0.9°C |
| Avg Low | 4.3°C | 4.1°C | 4.9°C | 4.8°C | 5.3°C | +1°C |
| Avg Rain | 89 mm | 86 mm | 86 mm | 84 mm | 119 mm | +31 mm |
December temperatures in Peterhead have risen by about 1.3°C between 1981–1985 and 2021–2025.
December has ranged from a record low of -0.9°C (1995) to a record high of 12.2°C (2015).
Rainfall in December is a relatively wet time of year, averaging 91 mm, with a wettest year of 157 mm.
A quieter season to visit Peterhead
If your dates are flexible, the more temperate months of August and July tend to be the most comfortable for visiting Peterhead. That said, December — with days averaging 6.9°C and nights around 4.6°C (mean 5.8°C) and higher rainfall (91 mm) — can still be rewarding for travellers who don't mind the cooler conditions, and often means fewer crowds.
| Year | Avg High | Avg Temp | Avg Low | Hottest Day | Coldest Day | Rainfall | Humidity | Wind | Solar |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 🔥 | 8.6°C | 7.6°C | 6.6°C | 11.8°C | 3.6°C | 83 mm | 89% | 5.8 m/s | — |
| 2024 | 8.3°C | 7.0°C | 5.6°C | 11.9°C | 2.2°C | 140 mm | 89% | 6.1 m/s | 0.3 |
| 2023 🌧️ | 7.3°C | 6.2°C | 5.1°C | 10.8°C | 2.0°C | 157 mm | 87% | 6.2 m/s | 0.3 |
| 2022 | 6.5°C | 5.5°C | 4.4°C | 10.5°C | 2.1°C | 97 mm | 86% | 6 m/s | 0.3 |
| 2021 | 7.0°C | 5.8°C | 4.6°C | 10.5°C | 1.7°C | 105 mm | 88% | 5.1 m/s | 0.3 |
| 2020 | 7.3°C | 6.5°C | 5.7°C | 10.5°C | 2.5°C | 135 mm | 89% | 6 m/s | 0.3 |
| 2019 | 7.7°C | 6.6°C | 5.5°C | 11.2°C | 2.9°C | 96 mm | 90% | 6 m/s | 0.3 |
| 2018 | 7.6°C | 6.5°C | 5.5°C | 10.7°C | 2.9°C | 62 mm | 88% | 5.9 m/s | 0.3 |
| 2017 | 7.0°C | 5.8°C | 4.7°C | 11.3°C | 1.9°C | 79 mm | 87% | 6.1 m/s | 0.3 |
| 2016 | 8.5°C | 7.3°C | 6.1°C | 11.7°C | 3.9°C | 57 mm | 88% | 6 m/s | 0.3 |
| 2015 | 8.8°C | 7.3°C | 5.9°C | 12.2°C | 3.4°C | 106 mm | 88% | 7.2 m/s | 0.3 |
| 2014 | 6.6°C | 5.4°C | 4.3°C | 9.8°C | 2.6°C | 67 mm | 86% | 6.6 m/s | 0.3 |
| 2013 | 8.0°C | 6.6°C | 5.1°C | 10.9°C | 0.9°C | 85 mm | 87% | 7.8 m/s | 0.3 |
| 2012 | 6.0°C | 5.0°C | 3.9°C | 9.9°C | 1.0°C | 138 mm | 86% | 6.4 m/s | 0.2 |
| 2011 | 6.8°C | 5.5°C | 4.1°C | 11.8°C | 1.6°C | 85 mm | 85% | 7.5 m/s | 0.3 |
| 2010 | 4.5°C | 3.6°C | 2.7°C | 8.3°C | 0.0°C | 64 mm | 84% | 5.2 m/s | 0.3 |
| 2009 | 6.2°C | 5.1°C | 4.1°C | 9.8°C | 1.2°C | 87 mm | 86% | 4.7 m/s | 0.3 |
| 2008 | 6.7°C | 5.5°C | 4.4°C | 10.6°C | 0.8°C | 96 mm | 87% | 6.2 m/s | 0.3 |
| 2007 | 6.9°C | 5.8°C | 4.6°C | 11.1°C | 2.2°C | 66 mm | 89% | 6.2 m/s | 0.3 |
| 2006 | 7.9°C | 6.6°C | 5.2°C | 11.6°C | 2.9°C | 69 mm | 89% | 6.4 m/s | 0.3 |
| 2005 | 7.5°C | 6.5°C | 5.4°C | 10.3°C | 2.1°C | 78 mm | 88% | 6 m/s | 0.3 |
| 2004 | 7.6°C | 6.3°C | 4.9°C | 10.8°C | 1.3°C | 77 mm | 89% | 6.5 m/s | 0.3 |
| 2003 | 7.4°C | 6.1°C | 4.8°C | 10.5°C | 2.1°C | 87 mm | 87% | 6 m/s | 0.3 |
| 2002 | 7.0°C | 6.2°C | 5.5°C | 9.5°C | 2.2°C | 98 mm | 88% | 5.5 m/s | 0.2 |
| 2001 | 6.8°C | 5.6°C | 4.4°C | 9.7°C | 0.8°C | 93 mm | 86% | 5.9 m/s | 0.3 |
| 2000 | 6.9°C | 6.1°C | 5.3°C | 10.6°C | 0.3°C | 109 mm | 88% | 6.5 m/s | 0.2 |
| 1999 | 5.8°C | 4.7°C | 3.6°C | 10.8°C | 1.0°C | 124 mm | 87% | 7.4 m/s | 0.3 |
| 1998 | 7.1°C | 5.8°C | 4.4°C | 11.0°C | 1.9°C | 77 mm | 89% | 6.6 m/s | 0.3 |
| 1997 | 7.5°C | 6.5°C | 5.5°C | 11.1°C | 3.8°C | 106 mm | 89% | 6.1 m/s | 0.2 |
| 1996 | 5.4°C | 4.5°C | 3.6°C | 8.9°C | 1.7°C | 74 mm | 85% | 5.2 m/s | 0.3 |
| 1995 | 5.3°C | 4.5°C | 3.7°C | 9.4°C | -0.9°C | 76 mm | 83% | 5.4 m/s | 0.3 |
| 1994 | 7.3°C | 6.1°C | 5.0°C | 11.9°C | 0.9°C | 87 mm | 88% | 7 m/s | 0.3 |
| 1993 | 5.1°C | 4.2°C | 3.2°C | 9.3°C | 1.5°C | 114 mm | 88% | 6.3 m/s | 0.2 |
| 1992 | 5.5°C | 4.6°C | 3.6°C | 9.5°C | 0.1°C | 86 mm | 88% | 5.9 m/s | 0.3 |
| 1991 | 6.8°C | 5.6°C | 4.3°C | 9.9°C | 2.3°C | 43 mm | 88% | 5.8 m/s | 0.3 |
| 1990 | 6.6°C | 5.4°C | 4.2°C | 10.0°C | 2.3°C | 74 mm | 86% | 6.6 m/s | 0.2 |
| 1989 | 6.3°C | 5.3°C | 4.3°C | 9.5°C | 1.8°C | 44 mm | 86% | 5.2 m/s | 0.3 |
| 1988 | 8.1°C | 7.0°C | 5.8°C | 10.7°C | 3.4°C | 46 mm | 88% | 7 m/s | 0.2 |
| 1987 | 7.2°C | 6.3°C | 5.3°C | 10.3°C | 2.4°C | 64 mm | 87% | 5.1 m/s | 0.2 |
| 1986 | 6.2°C | 5.1°C | 3.9°C | 11.2°C | 2.2°C | 153 mm | 87% | 7.1 m/s | 0.3 |
| 1985 | 6.6°C | 5.4°C | 4.1°C | 11.0°C | -0.8°C | 117 mm | 88% | 5.8 m/s | 0.2 |
| 1984 | 7.5°C | 6.3°C | 5.2°C | 10.2°C | 1.8°C | 121 mm | 89% | 6.1 m/s | 0.2 |
| 1983 | 7.7°C | 6.2°C | 4.8°C | 11.6°C | 1.0°C | 98 mm | 86% | 6.9 m/s | — |
| 1982 | 5.7°C | 4.6°C | 3.5°C | 8.4°C | 1.2°C | 82 mm | 87% | 6.4 m/s | — |
| 1981 ❄️ | 4.2°C | 3.2°C | 2.2°C | 10.6°C | -0.8°C | 76 mm | 81% | 6 m/s | — |
Actual recorded December data for each year, 1981–2025 — sourced from NASA POWER.
The average high in December is around 6.9°C with lows near 4.6°C (mean 5.8°C), based on 45 years of NASA POWER data.
December averages 91 mm of rainfall in Peterhead, a relatively wet time of year. The wettest on record was 157 mm in 2023.
The hottest December reached 12.2°C in 2015. The coldest dipped to -0.9°C in 1995.
Comparing the earliest years on record (1981–1985) with the most recent (2021–2025), average December temperatures have risen by about 1.3°C. Daytime highs moved from 6.3°C to 7.5°C and overnight lows from 4°C to 5.3°C over the same span.
December is one of the cooler months of the year in Peterhead and a relatively wet time of year, so plan for around 6.9°C daytime highs and 4.6°C at night.
Not quite — December is the 4th coolest month in Peterhead, averaging 5.8°C.
For December in Peterhead, pack warm layers and a jacket for chilly mornings, with typical highs of 6.9°C and lows of 4.6°C. Bring an umbrella or light rain jacket too.
Relative humidity in December averages 87% — quite humid.
Average wind speed in December is 6.2 m/s. The windiest December on record averaged 7.8 m/s (2013).
The wettest December on record was 2023 with 157 mm. On average, December sees 91 mm.
All figures are derived from NASA POWER (Prediction Of Worldwide Energy Resources), based on MERRA-2 satellite reanalysis, covering 1981–2025.
Explore how the weather in Peterhead behaves each December, based on 45 years of NASA POWER climate data from 1981 to 2025. This page breaks down average temperatures, rainfall, humidity, wind and solar radiation for December specifically, along with year-by-year records and how the month has changed over the decades.
